Dee Milliner wants to start 2014 like he finished 2013

Posted by Mike Wilkening on July 8, 2014, 4:56 PM EST

AP

As a rookie, Jets cornerback Dee Milliner started 12 games, and he intercepted three passes for one of the NFL’s better defenses.

But it wasn’t a smooth first season for the 2013 first-rounder from Alabama. He dealt with multiple injuries, and he had some struggles. Moreover, the Jets’ pass defense was not a strength, with the club surrendering the 11th-most passing yards per contest.

“Yeah, I never thought it would go like it went,” Milliner said of his rookie season in a story published by the Advertiser on Tuesday. “But it was great, it just started off rough. I expected to have a better year but I finished the way that I wanted to play the whole year, so I felt great about that.

“Coming into this year, that’s what I’m trying to do. The way I finished, I want it to be like that the whole year, be consistent in my play.”

Player ratings service Pro Football Focus gave Milliner his three highest game grades of the season in December, so there’s something to his belief regarding his late-season improvement. If he can continue on that arc, it will help a secondary that has parted ways with accomplished cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis in back-to-back offseasons.

Perhaps the 2nd most important question for NY Jets in 2014 (after QB) is D secondary. Milliner is the key; if he plays like he did last Sept / Oct we are toast, if he plays like he did in Dec. we are golden.

weepingjebus says:Jul 8, 2014 5:46 PM

Jets are on the rise, and I say that as a Pats fan. Rex will get the defense sorted out, it’s the QB position that’ll swing 6 games one way or the other.

As always PFT provides no context to anything Jets related. The guy went up against Josh Gordon and Mike Wallace in that last month and he had a record 10 passes defended (mainly because QBs were targeting him so often due to his earlier performances) and played well enough to earn defensive player of the month for December. Showing that more than just him recognized his improvement.

People (mainly Jets fans) are extremely worried about this secondary but this is the most confidence I’ve had in it since before Revis tore his ACL. Milliner seemed to have turned a corner and as great as Cro was in the past and may still be he was injured that year and was ranked as the 109th corner. There is no possible way Patterson (great when healthy) or McDougle (rookie coaches have really been raving about) can be worse. Then factor in the addition of a blue chip safety like Pryor and I see a revitalized secondary and another top 10 defense for Rex.

These Jets are becoming a team. Now they have Mike Vick, who is the best scrambling QB in NFL history, who can make competition with Geno. They added CJ2K, who people say can’t really be a big threat, but those people don’t really know what they’re talking about. He’s not going to be like the young CJ2K, but he’ll be a threat. They added Eric Decker, who will add a great target for Vick or Geno or both. Not only is their offense shaped, they still have an above average defense.

It is better for the team that he struggled early last year. It motivated him, and he worked hard to get better. The improvement was drastic at the end if the year. I think Mcdougle wins the othe CB spot. Adding Prior as a safety. Rex will be able to play his kind of ball again.

enigma2742 says:Jul 9, 2014 12:38 AM

I DONT BELIEVE ON ALAMBA PLAYERS MOST OF THEM OR BUST OR DIDNT LIVE TO EXPECTATION THE ONLY ONE THAT MADE IT IS JULIO JONES